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Skidmore College
First-Year Experience

Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description

Soldiers, Diplomats, and Spies: The Art of Politics by Other Means

Instructor(s): Yelena Biberman-Ocakli, Political Science

This course explores the politics behind violence and the violence behind politics. It examines the building blocks of statecraft – the behind-the-scenes institutions and bureaucrats who collectively wield more power than we often like to recognize in a democratic society. These are the offices and officers who work the international political machinery: the soldiers, the diplomats, and the spies. Their work, which is often not meant to be observed, reshapes the world we live in every day. In this course, we will unearth some of these institutions and functionaries, and shed light on what they do and why, in order to gain a better understanding of how the international political arena actually works.

 

Course Offered: